Reading the Books
by annabelthegreat
Summary: James had just escaped a telling of, whilst he was making his escape, he bumped into his Girlfriend, Lily Evans, who was head girl and he was head boy. as they met a light engulfed them and they reappeared, over 20 years later in the great hall, with their son, how do they react to his life, and how is Umbridge trying to discredit Harry to the past? 5th year, time travel


Hello

Prologue, this is the prologue, I have tried to make it emotional, it is a bit clumsy, sorry, please enjoy.

I do not own Harry Potter, because if I did I would not have killed everybody...

*Marauder time*

James Potter was walking through Hogwarts on his own to lunch because his 3 other friends were being yelled at by professor McGonagall because they were caught with notes on the brilliant prank they were going to perform that night, James had been able to slip away, using the excuse that he had detention that night and would not, therefore, be partaking in the prank, as he had been caught earlier that week out of bed after bedtime, but his friends had no such excuse. As he walked he thought of his girlfriend Lily Evans, he must have drifted into a dream when words punctuated his thoughts, like knives.

"Hey Jamie, watch it" only one person called him that… he smiled

"Hello Lily-flower, Sorry I was thinking of you… I must have begun dreaming of your beauty" she scowled to hide a blushing smile, when there was a loud crack and white light engulfed them, the two seventh years, the head boy and girl no less, disappeared.

* * *

*Our Time*

Harry was sat in the Gryffindor common room contemplating whether to do his potions homework or plan the next meeting of the DA, as not doing one would get him into a lot of trouble and being caught doing the other would get him into more trouble with his most hated teacher ever, even more hated than Quirrell who had Voldemort sticking out of his head! When suddenly that thrice damned professor's voice rang out, her cold voice cutting through the warm, friendly common room.

"All students to the Great Hall, All students to the Great Hall, any students not there will be suspended or expelled" the room broke into cries of indignation and Ron grumbled

"That means that if you are not in Slytherin you will be expelled, and if you are in Slytherin and are caught, you won't even get a detention" He was disgusted by the whole situation. As Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way down to the great hall amongst the other Gryffindor 5th years, who were grumbling about homework and the 'stupid, interfering bitch', they discussed what might be happening that was so important, that they were taken from their houses so late in the evening, Ron said It was another educational decree that made all the punishments filch had ever threatened legal, Hermione decided that she could wait until the 'Umbitch' told them, and Harry was hoping that it had nothing to do with him. It is fair to say that he was completely and utterly wrong.

* * *

As they walked into the Great Hall, he was met by a scary but somewhat reassuring sight, there was Remus, who was looking, shocked, scared and worried at once, Sirius was there, bound by 3 Aurors, people cheered when they saw this, but Harry cried out;

"No" everyone looked at him in confusion, in some the idea that he was insane cementing in their minds. "He's innocent, let him go…" as he said this he saw to his shock Cornelius Fudge had turned to him, grinning evilly as he said;

"Mr Potter, this is the man who betrayed your parents, if you say he is innocent, you must be insane or under the imperius of this traitor…"

"No, look at his left arm, interrogate him with Veritaserum, He. Is. Innocent" fudge looked incredulous. "If I am wrong, you can take him back to Azkaban" at this Sirius went paler than he already was. "but if I am right, release him, give him his wand back and pardon him" at these words Ron and Hermione along with Fred and George and inexplicably Mr and Mrs Weasley, Remus Lupin and looking scathing, professor snape and all the other professors of Hogwarts drew towards Harry, flanking him as he drew himself to his full height. Fudge looked like he had just won the lottery.

"This, Mr Potter, is how many people you have deluded and, how many people Mr Black here has deluded, we shall see, has anyone any Veritaserum?"

"I do minister" replied snape "Much as I am loathed to waste this on Mr Black" he spat his name, "but I feel that this impromptu trial was not the point of this meeting, and so, to hurry proceedings I shall oblige" Fudge did not like the notion of using a truth potion from a known death eater, but in order to maintain his image as up keeper of the law, he had to trust this untrustworthy man.

"Very well, 3 drops should be enough" Snape stepped forward and administered the potion to Sirius' forced open mouth, as he stepped back Sirius' eyes became ever so slightly glazed over as he looked straight ahead.

"Name" fudge barked

"Sirius Orion Black"

"Did you betray the Potters to You-Know-Who?"

"No" there was a collective gasp as he said this

"Who did" fudge said through gritted teeth

"Peter Pettigrew"

"He is dead, you killed him"

"He is alive, he is with Voldemort" there was another gasp at this revelation and at how the supposed death eater was so bold as to say his name.

"Liar"

"You cannot lie when under Veritaserum" snape retorted back to a now furious fudge

"Were you ever a death eater?" asked fudge to Sirius, fudge was now almost puce with suppressed rage

"No"

"How did Peter Pettigrew betray the potters then? You were their secret keeper" fudge sounded triumphant now, but his face fell as Sirius spoke.

"He was their secret keeper, I suggested it, no one would suspect 'little, insignificant Peter'" his tone was disgusted with himself and at the traitor.

"Fine" fudge forced "Mr Sirius Orion Black you are found innocent of all charges against you and as you were wrongly imprisoned" Fudge was really speaking through his teeth now "you shall be compensated, here is your wand" he waved his own and a locked metal box appeared, he tapped it 3 times in certain places, the box opened and Sirius's wand floated towards the newly released man, he grabbed it and it shot red and gold sparks out of the end, and went to hug Remus, who was shell shocked at having his friend legally back. Sirius then spoke to a still shocked hall.

"Thank you minister, but to now make me completely legal, I believe I have to register" he then turned into a giant black dog and Trelawney yelled in her ethereal voice.

"The grim, The Grim" the ministry workers were shocked.

"When?" fudge spluttered as Sirius transformed back into a man.

"Er… 5th year!" a shocked gasp rang out through the hall "I knew you weren't supposed to even try until you were of age, but we er… had a reason" he glanced sheepishly at Remus who began to laugh and say

"Well I say it was a good reason"

"You mean this Werewolf, this… this thing is an animagus?" everyone's faces turned stony at the debridement of everyone's favourite professor.

"er… no, he was the reason, me, James and peter" he spat the name of his former friend "became animagi, to help Remus here during the full moon… they were good times" he chuckled "James turned into a stag" his, Remus' and the members of the order's faces fell as they remembered their late friend "I turned into a great dog and the Traitor" he spat angrily "turned into the rat he is… that is how he escaped me… he blew the street apart from behind his back, cut off his finger and transformed, went down into the sewers and became 'scabbers' to the weasleys, not that they knew" he said quickly "I found out just before Harry's 3rd year, from the newspaper, you, yourself minister lent me in Azkaban, with the article of the Weasleys visiting Egypt with the lottery money they won, and on Ron here's shoulder was 'Scabbers' but I recognised Pettigrew instantly, transformed, was so thin I could slip through the bars, the dementors can't detect animal emotions the same as they are less complex, they did not notice me slip away and swim away" Everyone gasped as they thought of this and fudge mentioned something about genetically altering the dementors to detected animal emotions as Sirius continued " so instead of coming after Harry here, I was actually trying to protect the boy who had had the man who betrayed his parent s to Voldemort sleeping in the bed of his best friend for 2 years" a 'woah' rippled through the crowd as Harry and Sirius hugged after what had seemed a lifetime of not seeing each other, Remus then joined in laughing as Sirius beckoned him over, then Ron, Hermione, and all the weasleys, who had since appeared, except percy, who was looking sniffily at the now massive hug. Snape sneered at the display of affection and backed away, whilst everyone but the ministry workers and members of slytherin house laughed at the now tangle of bodies on the floor. They were getting up as there was a crack and the hall was engulfed in a bright light, everyone drew their wands instinctively, and as the light cleared there was a gasp and some shouts as two teenagers had appeared.

* * *

"How… What… Why" could be heard throughout the hall, and snape began to back away as his childhood nemesis and ex-best friend came into view, exactly as he remembered them, from their last year at Hogwarts, in sickly love and united in hatred of him, because of his mistake, he began to flee but McGonagall caught him and made him turn, as a most moving reunion was taking place.

James looked up from Lily as he realised that they had moved, he was shocked by the crowd. "Sirius? Remus? What happened, have you used and aging potion, you look old…" he joked hesitantly, when they did not respond, he said "Padfoot? Moony?" the twins and Lee Jordan gasped in realisation "where's peter? Why are we in the Great Hall? Who are these people? Why don't I recognise anyone?" noticing that no one was doing anything Professor McGonagall rang out in a tone she had not used in almost 16 years.

"James Potter" James' head snapped towards the sound and he said in his most innocent voice

"Yes Professor"

"I appear to have forgotten the date, this wouldn't be one of yours would it? and could you enlighten me?"

James chuckled "No professor, this is not 'one of mine'… although, it might be a good one to try… it is the 19th January 1978" there was another gasp and tears from Harry, Sirius and Remus "why do you ask?" he chuckled again, looking nervously at his friends, who now had tears rolling unchecked down their faces, as did another boy, who looked strangely familiar. "whats happening" he asked worriedly, backing up towards Lily and grabbing her hand, staring at the stunned audience.

"Mr Potter," McGonagall's voice carried through the silent Hall "I lied the date is in fact 20th January 1995" James chuckled nervously.

"Yes, and I am Snivellus Snape" Snape flinched at the name he had not been called for 18 years.

"Mr Potter… do not use derogatory names of classmates"

"Yes professor, so why are we here"

"That would be where I come in" a simpering voice intoned, the whole hall jumped, amid the confusion, they had all forgotten that Umbridge had called them all to the hall "I have had books made up of Mr H Potter's life.." James interrupted.

"Sorry whoever you are, H is not my initial and I have not relatives with that initial"

"She means me" a voice spoke up, weary but broken. James looked at the boy who had spoken, it was the boy he found familiar.

"who are you" he asked, everyone stayed silent, knowing the significance of this moment. Sirius, Remus, Ron and Hermione had gathered around harry.

"I'm your son" everyone held their breath, James laughed hysterically.

"And I am the giant squid. Are you a relative, though, that's believable, you look exactly like me…" realisation dawned on his face as he backed away. "No… really, no, this cannot be true, why are we here?"

"I summoned you from the past, to show you how unruly your son has become" Umbridge said patronisingly

"Why not just get me and my lovely wife from your time?" again everyone held their breath as harry spoke

"You… you died, you and Lily… died when I was one year old" he began to break down as James drew nearer to lily looking ecstatic that he ended up marrying the love of his life and devastated as he looked into the eyes of his love and thought of their death and how they weren't part of their sons life.

"how old were we?" he whispered

"21" Sirius choked through tears. James and Lily looked aghast

"4 years" they whispered inaudibly, only for the other to hear. Remus and Sirius walked up to them, half dragging a tearful Harry with them. "How" was all they could choke, and the answer chilled them to the bone

"Voldemort came after us, you used Pettigrew as secret keeper, he ratted you out to Voldemort, he came and killed you first" harry nodded to James "then followed us into what must have been my bedroom, lily pleaded with him to spare me, but he did not, he killed her" harry broke down as he was remembering one of the most traumatic occasions in his life "he then turned his wand on me and cast the last spell he would cast for 15 years… the Avada Kedavra, it rebounded and he fled, as a shell"

"You… defeated Voldemort… aged 1" James said in awe, but it did not pass him by that Harry referred to them by their first names rather than 'Mum and Dad' "where did you go, with Sirius?" he looked hopeful but his face fell when he saw the expressions his two oldest friends were wearing.

"No, to Lily's sister" Lily gasped.

"but she hates magic, so does her boyfriend, Oh my God, she marries Vernon!"

"Yes" harry said through gritted teeth. Lily clasped her hands to her mouth, shocked, "but why didn't you go with Sirius"

"because I did something stupid" Sirius deadpanned, the rest of the hall had become invisible to the huddle as they got deeper into the story but then a voiced drew them out of their reverie of emotions.


End file.
